social presence: what is it and why does it matter?
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A little bit about me
1. Georgia boy living in Colorado2. Wife and two girls (10 & 4)3. Spent past 7 years working with online
learning4. Been an online student / teach online5. Research Interests
Instructional Communication (e.g., storytelling / presence)
Problems of Practice
What is it?
Does Presence =
present ????
Social Presence Theory
Communications Studies Group at the University College in London in the 1970s
Short, J.A., Williams, E., & Christie, B. (1976). The social psychology of telecommunications. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Original Definition
Social presence is the degree of salience (i.e., quality or state of being there) between two communicators using a communication medium.
What does that mean?
1. It’s a quality of a communication medium.
2. Some media (e.g., video) have higher social presence than other media (e.g., audio)
3. Mediums with high social presence are sociable, warm, and personal; mediums with low social presence are as less personal.
For Example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfuS3m-Jhcc
Why does this matter?
Our lives have Changed
We are social beings!
Learning is social!
Computer-mediated CommunicationEarly CMC Research Suggested CMC is a lean medium CMC is better at task oriented
communication CMC is inherently antisocial and
impersonal
If learning is social and CMC
antisocial, where does leave us?
The Emergence of Online LearningProponents and practitioners argued CMC can support the social practice of
learning and be very interpersonal
Learners can present themselves as being “real” as well as “connect” with others
Perceptions of social presence, and behaviors used to make up for missing cues, matter just as much, if not more, than a medium’s supposed capabilities
Phases of Social Presence ResearchPhase Period Key Figures Focus of Research Phase 1
1970s
Short et al.
Focused on Telecommunications
Phase 2 1980s-early1990s Rutter Daft & Lengel Kiesler Walther
Focused on CMC
Phase 3 Early/ mid 1990s-Present
Gunawardena Rourke et al. Tu
Focused on Online Learning
Research on Social PresenceResearchers have shown—in varying
degrees: A relationship between social presence and
student satisfaction
A relationship between social presence and the development of a community of learners
A relationship between social presence and perceived learning
Why does this matter to me?
Limitations of Past Research
1. Multiple Definitions
Social Presence is, the “sense of being with another”
(Biocca, Harms, & Burgoon)
1. Multiple Definitions
Social Presence is, the “sense of being with another”
(Biocca, Harms, & Burgoon)
“the degree to which a person is perceived as a ‘real person’” (Gunawardena)
1. Multiple Definitions
Social Presence is, the “sense of being with another” (Biocca,
Harms, & Burgoon)
“the degree to which a person is perceived as a ‘real person’” (Gunawardena)
“a student’s sense of being in and belonging in a course and the ability to interact with other students and an instructor” (Picciano)
2. Conceptual / MethodologicalSocial Presence is very contextual but
research has not adequately focused on the context and how context changes everything
Gunawardena studied online conferences
Rourke et al. only analyzed one week of discussion
Wise et al. studies six week long independent study courses
3. Contradicting Findings
Some researchers have found that social presence behaviors decrease over time (Rourke, Anderson, Garrison, & Archer, 2001a), while others have not (Stacey, 2002)
Picciano (2002) found a relationship between social presence and student learning, while Wise et al. (2004) did not
My Current Research
I am currently conducting two studies:
1. Revisiting indicators of social presence in online discussions (with mixed and multiple methods) with a specific focus on their relationship to student learning
2. Differences in social and teaching presence across discourse communities in accelerated courses
One Example
Affective Responses
Expression of emotions
Use of Humor
Self-Disclosure
Cohesive Responses
Vocatives
Use of Inclusive Pronouns
Phatics / Salutations
+ + =Continuing a Thread
Quoting from Other Messages
Referring Explicitly to Other Messages
Asking Questions
Complimenting / Expressing Appreciation
Expressing Agreement
Interactive Responses Social Presence
Category & Indicators Definition of Indicators ExamplesAffective Responses
Paralanguage Features of text outside formal syntax used to convey emotion (i.e., emoticons, exaggerated punctuation or spelling)
Someday……; How awful for you ; Mathcad is definitely NOT stand along software; Absolutely!!!!!
Emotion Use of descriptive words that indicate feelings (i.e., love, sad, hate, silly)
When I make a spelling mistake, I look and feel stupid; I get chills when I think of …
Value Expressing personal values, beliefs, and attitudes
I think it is a necessary evil; I feel our children have the same rights
Humor Use of humour—teasing cajoling, irony, sarcasm, understatement
God forbid leaving your house to go to the library
Self-Disclosure Sharing personal information, expressing vulnerability
I sound like an old lady; I am a closet writer; We had a similar problem
Interactive ResponsesAcknowledgement Referring directly to the contents of
others’ messages; quoting from others’ messages agreement
Those ‘old machines’ sure were something; we won by a landslide – ‘landslide’ (next response)
Disagreement Expressing agreement or disagreement with other’s messages
I’m with you on that; I agree; I think what you are saying is right
Approval Expressing approval, offering praise, encouragement
You make a good point; Right on; Good luck as you continue to learn
Invitation Asking questions or otherwise inviting response
Any suggestions?; Would you describe that for me, I am unfamiliar with the term
Personal Advice Offering specific advice to classmates Also the CEC website might have some references
Cohesive ResponsesGreetings & Salutations Greetings, closures Hi Mary; That’s it for now, TomVocatives Addressing classmates by name You know, Tamara, …; I totally agree with you
KatherineGroup Reference Referring to the group as ‘we’, ‘us’,
‘our’We need to be educated; Our use of the Internet may not be free
Social Sharing Sharing information unrelated to the course
Happy Birthday!! to both of you!!!
Self-reflection Reflection on the course itself, a kind of self-awareness of the group
I would never have imagined that we could have been having a discussion like this when we first started this course
Strategies to Improve Social
Presence
Examples Provided by the LiteratureInstructional Design: Instructors: Students: Develop overviews Provide opportunities
for student and teacher profiles within the learning management system
Incorporate audio and video within the course content following best practices for teaching and learning and ADA compliance standards
Limit class size Structure collaborative
learning activities Utilize group work
strategies Develop open-ended,
critical thinking discussion questions
Incorporate reflective activities
Utilize continuous and authentic assessment strategies
Post introductions and expectations documents before the students are given access to the course.
Contribute to discussion forum throughout the week
Provide suggested due dates for initial postings that promote mid-week engagement as opposed to weekend only postings
Launch discussion threads and summarize each thread at the end of the week
Promptly answer e-mail Provide frequent feedback Send progress reports on
participation and quality of postings
Strike up a conversation Share personal stories and
professional experiences Use expressions of emotions, e.g.
(smile) or (grin). Address students by name Allow students options for
addressing the instructor
Contribute to discussion forum throughout the week as opposed to waiting for the weekend
Promptly answer e-mail
Strike up a conversation
Share personal stories and experiences
Ask open-ended questions that promote discussion and require critical thinking
Use expressions of emotions, e.g. (smile) or (grin).
Can you think of any strategies?
Strategies I Use
1. Learning stories2. Digital storytelling3. Regular participation in discussion forums4. Cyber Cafés 5. Fun activities (e.g., Let’s Rock)6. Use first names7. Alternative communication tools (e.g.,
Twitter)8. Synchronous video enabled chats
Questions?
Resources
Digital StorytellingLowenthal, P., & Dunlap, J. (2007). Digital Stories. In P. Shank (Ed.), The online learning idea book: 95
proven ways to enhance technology-based and blended learning (pp. 110-111). San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
Lowenthal, P. R. (2009). Digital storytelling: An emerging institutional technology? In K. McWilliam & J. Hartley (Eds.), Story circle: Digital storytelling around the world. Wiley-Blackwell.
Yuhnke, B., Thai, A., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2008). TechHEds podcast on digital storytelling. Denver, CO: CU Online. Available at: http://www.techheds.com/2008/07/08/th-2008-07-07-18-digital-storytelling/
Social and Teaching PresenceLowenthal, P. R., & Parscal, T. (2008). Teaching presence. The Learning Curve, 3(4), 1-2, 4.
Yuhnke, B., Thai, A., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2008). TechHEds podcast on social presence. Denver, CO: CU Online. Available at: http://www.techheds.com/2008/05/13/th-2008-05-12-11-social-presence/
Lowenthal, P. R. (2009). Social presence. In P. Rogers, G. Berg, J. Boettcher, C. Howard, L. Justice, & K. Schenk (Eds.), Encyclopedia of distance and online learning (2nd ed., pp. 1900-1906). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Lowenthal, P. R. (in Press). The evolution and influence of social presence theory on online learning. To appear in T. T. Kidd (Ed.), Online education and adult learning: New frontiers for teaching practices. Hershey, PA: IGI Global
Lowenthal, A., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2009, April). Revisiting teaching presence: An analysis of teaching presence across discourse communities. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, San Diego, CA.
Dunlap, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. R. (under review). Tweeting the night away: Using Twitter to enhance social presence. Submitted to Journal of Information Systems Education.